Quilters most frequently use cotton broadcloth to stitch together their colorful designs that decorate warm bed coverings. A quilt is like an extra-insulated blanket, composed of three layers that include the top, which is the colorful design craftspeople take so much pride in, cotton padding in the middle, and a bottom layer of muslin to finish off the piece.
In earlier times, when most clothing was homemade and many were practiced in the craft of sewing, quilts were fashioned from scraps of fabric salvaged from worn out clothing. But in this day and age, cloth is produced specifically for quilters who wish to employ colorful designs and patterns that they can view en masse and select from for their craft projects.
But what if handicraft makers want to use quilting fabric for purposes other than making bed coverings? You can certainly use fabric traditionally associated with quilting for other kinds of projects, including homemade clothing. Patterns and colors available in fabric designed for quilts are often desirable for articles of clothing that a designer might like to hand fashion. Some might wonder of quilting fabric might be too course to be used as fabric for clothing, but consider the fact that quilts must be soft enough to avoid chafing skin and you’ll realize that quilting fabric is perfectly suited for making wearables.
If doubt persists about the roughness of quilting fabric and its suitability for making clothing, simply put the fabric through the wash cycle of your washing machine and that should soften any stiffness or course textures that brand new fabric might have. It’s also advisable to go through the washing cycle first before you begin to sew in or to pre-shrink the fabric. You’ll want to avoid sewing a piece of clothing and then finding out after the first washing that it’s shrunk to a size you can no longer wear.
Some designs that will work well with cotton are summer dresses, blouses, shirts, skirts and other similar articles of clothing. Plain cotton that you cannot see through when holding it up to the light can be used for shorts and pants. If the cotton is thin and a little transparent, you may want to put a lining in the garment. If the pattern you’re using calls for cotton, and the quilting material you purchased from a fabric by the yard store says “100 percent cotton”, then that material will work with the pattern. For making babies’ clothing, you’ll want to only use flame-retardant flannel, for safety reasons, as well as for additional warmth.
Search online or browse through your local fabric store and ask a clerk for suggestions. The more you look, the greater the number of clothing ideas will begin to occur to you.
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